Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-27
THE CAUCUS AND BossIsM
avs the Cleveland LenIor..

Says the Cleveland Leader:
Tine caucus is the very foundation of the
election system of the United States. Every
man who has right TO cast his vote al an cleo
non has also the right 10 participate as a men,
Der of one of the various parties in the caueuses
preliminary to that election. The action of the
caucus is supposed to represent the viii of the
party. ana II should: IL IS as much duty of
citizenship TO attend the caucus as il is to vote
on election day, and no good citizen should alb
sent himself from the caucus
All true. Because the caucus is neglected
tby the citizens who should give it the most
attention, is the reason THAT bossism -four
Iishes. In the absence of the people. most
interested in good government and perfect
political freedom, the boss and his cohorts
fill the front benches and carry out without
let or hindrance their cut-and-dried plans.
the basis Of which is selfinterest and the
advancement of the power of the boss class,
the ambition of which has no limit.
Why should not the political ring
master avail himself of the absence of the
people? Since citizens who should take an
active part fail to do SO, and thus commit
party machinery to the care of the boss,
why should he not use ii to augment his
own power and achieve his own ends? We
have, indeed, but small quarrel with the
boss. We have something akin to admira-
ton for his genius, his administrative
ability, his capacity to read and manage
men; the highest order of ability, by the
way. Our quarrel is rather with those who
pretentiously claim to be the very salt of
good citizenship, but whose laches alone
make the boss possible, and who are, there
fore, responsible for him. There never will
be genuine reform in political methods,
and notably in municipal administration,
SO long as people by absenting themselves
from the caucus and primary and ward
clubs OF party, appoint the boss to act for
them The chiefs of the rings, the small
autocrats of party, will continue TO own
city boards and county governments and to
be political dictators and sole administrat-
ors of the affairs of the people Just as long
as the primals in political activities are
neglected by the masses
The political boss is the natural out
growth and inevitable result, we repeat, of
the neglect of duty doing by the citizens.
One OF those sage and far-seeing men. who
has had profound experience with boss
methods and aided in them, not long since
frankly said to us: Political bossisgn has
no strength or power it does not derive
directly from the people, who neglect their
political duties. While they slumber the
political manipulation is at work formulat
ing his plans. There is not one of all of us
who Is not constantly beset by the fear
that the neglectful citizen will return to
duty at Just the very nick of time when we
most desire them to keep 'hands off, III
you people want reform in this matter the
bosses haven't the power to prevent it-and
that's the solemn truth
Let it be repeated that if the average
good citizen continues to neglect his polit-
ical duties and content himself with curs-
ing the boss, the scepter of sovereignty
Will pass over absolutely to the latter. and
he will have fairly won it. Indeed. in
some communities it is already an accom-
plished fact, and no position, from dog
catcher to the judicial bench, from stoker
for fire-engine to that of teacher in the
public schools, can Be filled, except by pla
eating the political dictator of the iurisdic-
ton, nor any line-of economic administra-
ton be pursued without the consent of the
boss his aequiescence being secured in one
oftwo ways BY direct payment of money
by compact binding the recipient of favors
to cast his influence and use his Office to
conserve boss schemes and the perpetuation
of boss power.
y Brooklyn citizen who resolved. with
4 few others, to return to political duty
doing, recorded his experience as alto
gether disheartening. He found il i'm.
possible, with the handful about him and
acting with him, to accomplish results,
and he therefore declares it TO be inpossi-
bic for decency to rule in political methods.
His error was early disbursement He
expected immediate results. For that he
had no warrant. The elimination of the
bess4 is not to be effected speedily or
easily. lie has grown into his power. and
not even if all neglected. citizens returned
to political duty tomorrow could ali his
schemes be at once overthrow. No re-
form worthy the name ever spraslg ap fully
matured.
Heiiand declared that political reform
could come only with the advent of the
gentleman in politics, and the gentleman
he described as one who knows something
OF the world, who possesses dignity and
seii-respect, who recognizes the rights Of
Others and She duties he owes to soeietv :,
all has relations, who would as soon Gem
nat suicide IS stain his palm with bride.
and who would not degrade himself h, |
mtrigues. Il was the same caustie nuf-
licistl who held that ii We could bit bava
gentlemen--mesning thereby self-respeet- !
ing, industrious in Congress We
could well dispense with the scholars.
These are not mere congratulations. |
Political liberty is being lost by eenees-
sions to "bossism' snd acquiescence IN
corruption. 1t can he recovered only by
every citizen returning to duty in polities
and csasing TO delegate TO the few that
which be alone IS competent to do. As
bossism and traffic in place, bribery and
Office farming become odious, political
liberty viii recover its ground. Precisely
as hossism, corruption and unblnslling
genality broaden their hold npon the adj
OF pablic affairs, the political
lights Of the people are narrowed, and it
5 possible for the process to 80 on until